


We are stuck on answers we can’t find

by hiya_zelda (hiya_girlie)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Angst, F/M, PTSD, Slow Burn, Some implied midlink, Some nice mutual pining, Spoilers, Zelink endgame, i promise there’ll be fluff, its kinda dark ngl, link is really lonely help him, mentions of in game events, not really that violent but detailed depictions of ptsd nightmares so there’s that, post TP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22035652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiya_girlie/pseuds/hiya_zelda
Summary: Plagued by memories of things he’d rather forget, Link goes to the princess for help.———Title is a line from “Different World” by Alan Walker.———Currently on hiatus
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	1. I can hear your whispers in my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few bad dreams later, he ends up at the castle.

The night was quiet when Link opened his eyes. Another bad dream, one that threatened to take him back to the days he pushed to the back of his memory. He shook his head to clear his mind and exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing. This was the third time this week he’d woken up in the middle of the night.

 _Just let me be,_ he thought bitterly, rubbing his eyes. _I’m trying to put that all behind me._

He laid back down. Outside his window, rain began to fall. The sound used to lull him to sleep, but after everything it just put him on edge. Heavy pattering, like the footsteps of skeletons. He took a shaky breath and pushed the image out of his thoughts. 

A flash of lightning made him jump enough to make him tumble off his bed, falling in a heap of blankets to the floor. He grunted. For a hero he was quite a chicken. 

Too tired to get back into bed, he pulled the blankets around him, closing his eyes. His heart beat violently inside his chest despite his attempts to calm it. Why was he so antsy?

Eventually, with thunder rumbling in the distance, he drifted into a fitful sleep. 

~~~

_His body was covered with little cuts, shards of glass embedded in his skin. They were broken pieces of the Mirror of Twilight that he watched his best friend shatter, separating them forever. No matter how many he pulled out, more remained, keeping steady trickles of blood flowing down his skin. His angry sobs had degraded into pitiful cries as he tried to put the pieces of the Mirror back, but after hours of trying, he collapsed to the ground._

Link bolted upright, silencing a scream. His hand went to his chest, where a long scar marred the skin. Phantom pain, not just on his chest but on his arms, legs, back, and neck. He remembered when the only scars he had were from herding accidents. Now he was practically covered head to toe in old wounds. He scratched at one on his arm; he gotten it fighting the princess when she’d been possessed. 

The princess.

She was probably the only person alive who had an inkling of what he’d gone through. If anyone could help him it would be her. 

He could be to the castle in a day on Epona, and his low sanity and lack of sleep was making him seriously consider it. He wasn’t needed in Ordon; the mayor had made it clear that as hero he would be provided for without needing to work. No one would be surprised if he left for a few days, he made frequent visits to Kakariko and Castle Town alone. 

He hadn’t seen the princess since she let him stay at the castle to recuperate after fighting Ganondorf. If he was anyone else he would have to request an audience with her, but as long as he wore his green outfit when he went, he’d be able to see her, no questions asked. One of the few perks of saving the world was suddenly being important enough to do things like that. 

It was a good plan, but he realized it would be best to go back to sleep and wait until morning to leave. He sank back into his bed and forced his eyes shut.

~~~

Link saddled Epona, stroking her mane. She neighed. 

“We’re going to the castle, girl,” he said, tying on the saddlebags. “There’s someone I need to see there.”

The sun was barely poking out over the horizon line when he rode out of Ordon Village. Strangely he’d become detached from the village as of late. It didn’t feel like home anymore. The villagers had stayed practically the same yet he’d changed so much. Though he felt guilty leaving without telling anyone, he didn’t look back when he crossed the bridge.

As he traveled, he thought about leaving Ordon permanently to pursue a life of wandering, perhaps even leave Hyrule entirely. There were too many painful memories here, ones he couldn’t escape. He hadn’t been the same since his hometown disappeared, and being around people for too long triggered repressed memories. Leaving for good would… be for the best. 

And what about the people he’d be leaving behind? Rusl, Uli, and Colin, Ilia, the mayor, the other villagers. He tried to tell himself it didn’t matter what they thought, but they were a second family to him. Leaving them would be like fleeing from the empty desert where the bustling city that was his hometown had once been. 

_I’m not happy here,_ he thought, tears welling in his eyes. _I just want to go somewhere far away, so far away that all these damned memories fade away until there’s nothing left of them._

Epona sensed his sudden depression and tossed her mane.

“Don’t worry, girl,” he whispered, wiping his eyes, “I could never leave you.”

She snorted as he put the negative thoughts aside. First he would see the princess and ask for her help, then he would decide if he left or not. 

As they made their way across Hyrule Field, he remembered running through the tall grass in search of bugs for the little girl in Castle Town. Such a simple memory, but one that pulled him out of his funk. Maybe he would visit her after seeing the princess and take her bug hunting again. 

~~~

The sun began to set when Princess Zeldaw left the meeting, eager to take a bath and go to sleep. Today had been a long day of discussion with her new advisors, making preparations to rebuild the destroyed sections of the castle. They agreed to wait until the castle town finished rebuilding, so until then, she was relocated to a different room as hers had been ravaged by monsters during its occupation by Zant. Sometimes she forgot about the room change and found herself staring down a wall of crumbled stone.

Today was one of those days, her exhausted mind confusing the rooms. The workers who were rebuilding the town had offered to take a week and clear out the rubble for her, but she declined the offer under the pretense of the town being more important. 

But really, she was trying to ignore the memories that were buried underneath the rocks. Not only was her room back there, her father’s was there as well. She was still shaken up by the funeral they’d held for him after the war ended. Going inside his room would tear at her heart more than she’d be able to bear. 

She looked at the fallen rock, shoulders sagging. It hurt to think of how much damage had been caused, to the town, to the castle, to the people. Their lives wouldn’t go back to normal for a long time.

She yawned, starting to walk back to her new room. Dealing with the stress of the rebuilding effort was catching up to her. Too many sleepless nights spent crunching numbers and worrying about how morale was doing. She wished she had someone to tell her to take a break. The war had taken her friends and her advisors, leaving her to deal with the aftermath with inexperienced counselors who she barely knew. They were all too afraid of her to speak to her on personal terms. Even her attendants hardly spoke to her. She was so lost and alone. 

Zelda passed a guard hobbling along with the aid of a crutch, his right leg a short stump. He bowed to her, a weary smile on his face. 

“Always a pleasure to see your lovely face, Your Highness,” he said warmly.

 _I don’t deserve your kindness,_ she thought, outwardly smiling. “I thank you for your continued dedication to Hyrule, brave soldier,” she said, trying to sound calm when all she wanted to do was fall to the ground and beg for his forgiveness. 

His smile grew, and he dipped his head again before hobbling away. Guilt constricted her chest. If only she had done more, then her people wouldn’t have suffered so!

She was grateful when one of her maids, a young woman named Daia, found her and helped her to her room. She nearly fell asleep as Daia and another maid, Luka, brushed her hair. 

“Would you like us to draw you a bath, milady?” Luka asked. 

“Yes, please.”

They bowed and moved to the bathroom to prepare her bath. Zelda began to undress when someone knocked. 

Stepping behind a curtain, she called for them to come in. Her last attendant, a ginger haired girl named Saydee, entered, announcing her presence. 

“There’s someone here to see you, Your Highness,” Saydee said.

“At this hour?” Zelda asked tiredly, putting on her nightgown. 

“It’s the hero, Your Highness.”

Despite her exhaustion, she perked up at the word hero and a stream of questions poured out of her. “What’s he doing here? Is he injured? Has something happened?”

Saydee shrugged apologetically. “I don’t know. He didn’t seem to be in distress, but he looked tired. He looks like he’s been traveling.”

“Will you go get him and bring him here?”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Saydee hurried out. 

Luka emerged from the bathroom. “Will you be needing this bath, then, milady?” She asked. 

Zelda bit her lip. “It looks like I won’t be needing that bath anymore. You and Daia are dismissed for the night.”

“Good night, then, milady.”

Daia and Luka left, leaving Zelda alone. Chagrined she realized that changing out of her dress hadn’t been the brightest idea, so she dug in her wardrobe for a robe, tying it on over her nightgown. Goddess, she was so tired. If it were anyone else she would tell them to wait until morning, but she couldn’t afford to rest until she knew why he had come. If there was any danger she needed to react immediately. 

She sank onto her bed and had to strain her eyes to stay awake. She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone knocked on her door. She was seconds away from being completely unconscious. 

Fixing her robe, she sat up. “Come in,” she called, trying to mask the fatigue in her voice. The door opened, and in walked Link, the savior of Hyrule. 

She gestured to the empty seat where she’d sat to have her hair brushed. “Please, have a seat.”

He nodded gratefully and sat down. His green outfit was covered in dust, most likely from traveling, and his eyes were dull and tired. She hadn’t seen him since he’d stayed at the castle to rest after defeating Ganondorf, and even then he didn’t look as exhausted as he did now. 

“I apologize for the mess,” she said, wincing. “I haven’t had time to clean up lately.”

“It’s fine,” he said, not bothering to hide the drowsiness in his voice. 

“Is everything alright?” She asked, concerned. “You look terrible.”

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “That’s why I came, actually. I’m exhausted, and I thought you could help.”

“Help?”

Suddenly his eyes filled with pain, and his head sank to his hands. “I’ve been having nightmares,” he whispered. He actually started to shake. “Mostly they just keep me up at night, but lately… they make me remember things I’d rather forget.”

From the anguish in his eyes Zelda knew he was talking about Midna. Losing Midna had been hard for her, but whatever she felt he must’ve felt it tenfold, having traveled with her for so long and going through so much for her. She was reminded of her own dreams, of her deceased father and the soldiers who died protecting her. The same memories that made her feel immense guilt made the bravest man in Hyrule tremble, barely holding back tears. It made her heart heavy. 

Not knowing what else to do or say, she took his left hand, awakening the Triforce inside her. It had a special property, the ability to alleviate physical and mental pain. She knew taking away his pain would likely make her pass out, but did so anyway, drawing the negative energy out of his heart and bringing it into herself. For a moment, her vision fuzzed and her head spun, then it subsided, and she was left with a massive headache, her thoughts clouded with sadness, anger, and regret. 

As if free of a heavy burden, Link let out a long sigh, his eyes closing. She hurried to steady him when he nearly fell out of the chair, his body limp. She couldn’t carry him to another room, she was far too tired, but she did have the strength to lift him onto her bed. Carefully she took off his chainmail and boots and set them aside. 

He didn’t stir. He was out cold, the pain in his face replaced serenity. Hopefully her magic had taken away enough of his bad memories to allow him a good night’s rest, and if not, she would stay by his side to make sure he did. 

She sat on the edge of the bed, hesitating to remove her robe. It would be outlandishly improper to share a bed with him, but even if she had another place to sleep she didn’t have the strength to get there. Exhaustion overruled embarrassment, and soon she was curled up beside him, fast asleep. 

~~~

_He sat in a field of flowers, watching a golden beetle drift past. It was peaceful, the only sound being laughter as the girl from Castle Town ran around him, chasing the beetle._

_He picked a flower, admiring its deep violet color, and smelled it. It didn’t smell like a flower, rather it smelled like soft vanilla, mixed with a bit of sweat._

Link sat up, not out of fear, but out of confusion. The room was illuminated with the soft glow of the morning sun. Had he really slept the whole night without interruption?

He looked around the room and remembered he wasn’t in Ordon, and then realized he was still in the princess’s room. With a mixture of embarrassment and surprise he glanced beside him and saw the princess asleep on the bed next to him. He looked away sharply, feeling unusually warm. 

He was in bed with the princess of Hyrule but he didn’t know why. His head was foggy as he struggled to recall what happened last night. He had made it to the castle well after dark, and had followed a maid to meet with the princess. The last thing he remembered was her reaching out to take his hand. Surely she hadn’t cast a spell on him that made him sleep with her. It was most likely an act of generosity on her part, noticing his burnt out behavior and letting him sleep on her bed. But then why was she here?

He almost got up, but he was still tired and didn’t fully trust himself to walk. Careful not to wake the princess, he let his head fall back onto the pillow, and he closed his eyes. 

~~~

Zelda awoke when the bed shifted underneath her. Groggily, she sat up, yawning very unladylike, and came face to face with Link. He looked much better than he had last night. There was a faint light in his eyes. The Triforce’s power had worked, thankfully. 

“Good morning,” she said, stretching. He turned away and she flushed as she realized she was only wearing her nightgown. 

“Actually it’s almost noon.”

She glanced out the window. The sun was high in the sky. “So it is.”

“What happened last night?” He asked, looking over his shoulder at her. 

Last night. Suddenly her head began to throb. She rubbed her forehead and tried to fight back the overwhelming feeling of sadness. The emotions she’d taken from him were making themselves known. 

“You needed to sleep,” she said, voice hoarse as her skin grew cold. “I did what I could to help.”

She felt bitter, angry, full of regret. She wanted to push this pain out of her mind but the harder she fought the more they hurt. Like a raging fire, bent on consuming all in its path. Her vision blurred.

“Your Highness,” Link asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, “are you feeling well?”

“I’m fine.”

It must’ve been too obvious of a lie because he looked concerned. “Did you sleep last night?”

He put a hand to her forehead, which she tried to move away. “I think we should send for a doctor,” he insisted. “Your forehead is warm.”

His touch sent her through his memories and for a moment it wasn’t his hand against her forehead, but a much smaller blue hand. 

“You idiot,” an impish voice chided. “You know better than to go out in the cold and rain!”

Zelda blinked and the vision disappeared. That had to have been Midna. Now she understood what was happening to him. He was being tormented by visions of the past, the good memories he had of his friend twisted and covered in darkness, a ghost from his past quite literally haunting him.

The visions were too much for her, and she began to feel faint. She could barely hear his voice as she fell unconscious. 

~~~

The doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do for her. Whatever happened to her has put her in some sort of coma. She’ll be asleep for a while.”

Link sighed, looking at the sleeping princess. Her face was contorted, as if having a terrible dream. “She said she did something to me to help me sleep,” he said. “Do you have any idea what it could’ve been?”

“I’m sorry, I do not.”

“Thanks anyway.”

The doctor dismissed himself, leaving Link alone with the princess. For the first time in weeks his head wasn’t a mess of emotions. He suspected that she’d tampered with them and that was how he’d fallen asleep. He tried to recall memories of the time he spent wandering Hyrule with Midna, but found nothing there. Had she gotten rid of the memories entirely?

The princess moaned softly, shifting. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and neck. He knew the feeling of waking up in a cold sweat. He used the corner of one blanket to wipe some of it away.

Her hand seized his arm, her grip like iron. “Stay away,” she mumbled, voice panicky. “Stay away.”

 _It’s not just a bad dream,_ he thought, the dots connecting. I’ve _said that. She must be in my memories, somehow. When she took my hand, she was taking my memories, and moving them inside of her._

She let go of him, her hand falling onto the bed, and started to itch at her skin. She couldn’t be having the dream with the mirror, could she?

“Midna!” She screamed, sitting up, suddenly wide awake. Her arm began to bleed where she’d scratched away the skin.

“Your Highness!” Link said, grabbing her arm to keep her from tearing her skin. “It’s alright, everything is fine, it was just a bad dream.”

Her chest heaved, but she relaxed and he let go. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “You must have been in so much pain.” 

So she had taken his memories. No wonder she’d woken up so quickly.

“The mirror… you must miss her so much,” she said, looking at the blood on her arm.

He found a scrap of fabric and tied it around the wound. “Why did you take my memories?” He asked. 

“You looked like you needed it,” she said. “The sorrow in your eyes, I could tell. The sting of loneliness runs deep.”

He swallowed.

“Do you want them back?” She asked. “I can keep them for you, if you would rather.”

He didn’t want them back, not if it meant more sleepless nights and eternal aching. But leaving them for her to deal with was downright cruel. Undoubtedly she already had her own negative feelings to sort through, adding more to the pile could kill her. He held out his hand. 

“Please, give them back.”

She looked relieved, taking his hand. Her hand glowed with a golden light, the Triforce appearing. He almost fell from the force of the memories as they flooded over him. Yet, they weren’t as sad as he remembered them being. He searched through them, and smiled when he saw Midna’s face. 

“Thank you,” he said, looking at her with tears sliding down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally a one shot but it got hella long so it’ll be multiple chapters. 
> 
> Chapter title is a line from “Sing Me to Sleep” by Alan Walker.
> 
> (I haven’t written Zelink in a while, wow)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. I don’t wanna leave just yet, cuz I’m not really over it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They avoid talking about it until it becomes dangerous.

Link opted to stay in the castle for a few more days to catch up on missed sleep before returning to Ordon. Zelda went back to overseeing the rebuilding, and thankfully no one asked about what happened between them. 

They hadn’t spoken about that night. They didn’t even mention what happened at all. Despite how healing it had been for both of them, there were feelings of awkwardness surrounding the event and their sharing of a bed. 

Link had accepted it as an act of selflessness and all but forgot it, though a hopeful voice in the back of his mind kept trying to convince him it had been something more. He pushed the voice aside with the reasoning that she was just being kind and that there were no ulterior motives, no matter how much he was growing to want them to be there. 

Meanwhile, Zelda knew that she had made the choice to sleep next to him without his consent and for that she felt extremely guilty. But her heart clung the memory, and when she thought about it, all she felt was pleasure. Initially she recoiled from it, ashamed she could ignore the problems with her actions to focus on her rose tinted perspective. Yet her inexperienced heart persisted. 

They saw each other a few times during his stay and exchanged polite small talk, but since she was kept busy with her duties and both had mixed feelings about each other, their conversations never went deeper. Each felt regret for ignoring the other, but let the days pass in uneventfulness. 

~~~

On the last day of Link’s stay, Zelda felt an indescribable melancholy. She knew, without a doubt, that once he set foot outside the castle, that was it. 

When she took his memories, there was one that had utterly terrified her: Link was planning to leave Hyrule forever in an attempt to escape his painful past. 

That thought had completely caught her off guard and shaken her to her core. She had no idea she’d been so oblivious to his emotions. It had been foolish of her to assume that once he saved Hyrule things would go back to normal. Things certainly weren’t normal for him, if he was considering a permanent leave. 

During his recovery, she thought she’d calmed him down enough to reconsider it. He had actually _smiled_ at her. He hadn’t come to her for help since the first night, and Luka reported that he slept like a baby every night. He showed no outward signs of struggling. 

_And that’s exactly it_ , she thought as she walked down the hall towards the meeting hall. _It’s easy to hide your feelings, to keep them locked away inside instead of facing them._ She’d done the exact same when her father had died, refusing to burden anyone with concern for her wellbeing. And worst of all, they let her. When she said she was fine, no one questioned, no one looked close enough to see the cracks in her composure. They left her alone to suffer, knowing no better.

And now she was leaving him alone. 

She stopped in front of the doors to the meeting hall, her breathing suddenly becoming very intense. She wouldn’t let this happen, she couldn’t. If Link left, and Hyrule was in danger, there would be no one to save them.

No. That train of thought was unworthy of having a place in her mind. It didn’t matter if he was a hero or a peasant, he was first and foremost one of her people, and it was her duty as princess and future queen to help him.

Turning away from the meeting hall, she took off in a sprint towards the stables. She had to stop him. 

~~~

Link rubbed Epona’s neck, trying not to cry. She neighed softly. Despite having peaceful dreams, he hadn’t slept much the previous night. 

He told the princess he was leaving today. Yet his earlier decision to leave Hyrule for good was in conflict with his feelings. He didn’t want to go anymore. And he knew his hangups weren’t about leaving the castle, but about something else. The assurance that she would help him when he needed it, her completely selfless and sacrificial nature, the comfort he felt around her, so similar yet so different from Midna… 

The night the princess took his memories was the closest to happiness he’d felt in a long time. He didn’t want to leave that, to leave her. But there was no real reason for him to stay, so he had to leave.

He brushed away the tears forming in his eyes. A cold feeling settled in his stomach, and he knew that if he left now, he wouldn’t come back. That was the price of his past. 

“Well, girl,” he said to Epona, choking slightly on the words. “I guess we better go now.”

He slowly started to saddle her when he heard a voice call out. His heart leaped when he recognized it as the princess’s voice. 

“Link!”

He turned and saw her enter the stables, out of breath. She had a look of panic on her face, but when she saw him it vanished, replaced by a weary, relieved smile. 

“It looks like I caught you just in time,” she said, composing herself. “I was worried you had left already.”

He didn’t say that he couldn’t bring himself to go, but apparently she didn’t need to hear it. Walking to his side, she hesitated for a moment. Then she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her head into the crook of his neck. 

“Please stay, Link,” she whispered, voice breaking. “At least a little longer. Don’t go.”

The mixed feelings he’d felt days ago when he awoke to see her asleep beside him returned, filling him with the confusion of a wandering soul and the yearning of a lonely heart. Losing his composure, he held onto her like she was the rope keeping him from falling into an endless chasm and broke into tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I worry I’m being too cruel to these poor children, then I sit back down and write more angst. Oh well!
> 
> Chapter title if from “I Don’t Wanna Go” by Alan Walker.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Am I losing my mind?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s rough being a princess.

_ He saw nothing, empty fields of darkness stretching around him into infinity. The sword in his hand was the only light he could see.  _

_ Blindly wandering in the pitch black, he held the sword up to light the way, but the darkness consumed it entirely. Something grabbed his legs, pulling him to the ground. But there was no ground, just emptiness.  _

Link sat up with a start. He’d rolled off the bed again. Rubbing his eyes, he rested his head against the bed and sighed. He’d had that dream every night since he decided to stay. No monsters, no pain, just emptiness, blackness, and that endless pit.

He tried to make sense of the dream. The sword was obviously the Master Sword; the blue glow was easily recognizable. He’d used it to light his way many times before, when crawling through tight places or when he ran out of lantern oil. If it was the sword to banish all evil, why couldn’t it fight back the darkness in his dream?

He got to his feet, throwing the blankets back up on the bed with a grunt. He thought he’d been doing better. Between the time he first came to the castle and the time he decided to stay, he hadn’t had a single bad dream, yet here he was, waking up from a nightmare for the fourth night in a row.

A part of him urged him to tell the princess. She could take his memories for a while, and he could sleep. However, it was still dark out, and he couldn’t exactly barge into the princess’s room and demand she help him. 

And it wouldn’t do anything in the long term. He was already relying on her too much to solve his problems and it wasn’t fair to expect her continued assistance. He needed a long term solution, preferably one that kept his memories intact but out of his dreams.

He glanced at his left hand where the mark of the Triforce shone dimly. The princess used the power of her Triforce piece when taking his memories. If the Triforce of Courage could do things like that, his problem would be solved. 

_ I’ll worry about it later _ , he thought with a long sigh, falling back onto his bed.  _ For now I should sleep.  _

~~~

Zelda walked down the aisle, her eyes floating across the book spines. It had been so long since she’d been inside the library and she had forgotten the layout, so she was wandering the aisles looking for anything interesting. 

She had a few spare minutes today in between meetings and since she couldn’t find Link, she thought she’d stop in for a while. However she didn’t remember the library ever making a faint rumbling sound. 

As she searched for the source of the noise, she found Link asleep at one of the tables, head resting on an open book. She chuckled when she realized the rumbling she heard was him snoring. He looked cute with his arms curled protectively around the book. 

Upon closer inspection, the book he was asleep on was the library’s only book on the legends surrounding the Triforce. An interesting and high level read, for sure. She tried to read it once when she first discovered her Triforce piece but had gotten lost in the technical language. There must’ve been something he was looking for. 

But book aside, why was he asleep? He’d been reporting nothing but peaceful nights. Was he having nightmares and hiding it from her?

Her meeting would be starting soon; that left her with no time to wake him up and ask him. Instead she found a scrap piece of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled a note, asking him to come to her room after dark. It was admittedly vague but she trusted him to understand it. 

_ Damn it, Link,  _ she thought, hurrying towards the meeting hall. 

_ Don’t you know I want to help you? _

~~~

“The last section of houses has been rebuilt, Your Highness,” Minister Goppa said, handing her a report. Goppa was in charge of the construction workers and had kept a close eye on the rebuilding. 

“Already?” Zelda said, flipping through the report. It was amazing to think that this team of brand new advisors had done so much already. She was gaining confidence in them. “That’s wonderful news.”

Minister Arwah, in charge of setting the building schedule and sticking to it, shuffled some papers. “The castle town bounced back from the disaster quite well, Your Highness. The rebuilding effort is well ahead of schedule.”

“We can begin to clean up the castle now,” Minister Towoka suggested. She was head of finances. “I believe we should begin with restoring the throne room and the royal wing, so you can move back into your real room, Your Highness.”

Zelda bit her lip, trying not sound hesitant. “Are we certain no other areas need aid?”

“Your Highness, with all due respect,” Goppa said, frowning, “the castle is in dire need of aid. I understand your desire to help your citizens, but if we wait much longer to fix the castle it might never get completed.”

Several others, in charge of various aspects of the country’s inner workings, murmured their agreement. Still, clearing out the rubble and going back to her room? Her father’s room? It would be like unburying a dead body. Not to mention the implications of restoring the throne room. No doubt once it was finished they’d begin pushing for her coronation. She didn’t need more things to stress about. 

“Very well,” Zelda said finally, covering her sigh. “Arrange for the workers to begin excavating the fallen hallways and have them clean the throne room.”

“Once that is out of the way, will you consider ascending to the throne, Your Highness?” Minister Ingrass asked. 

_ Of course Ingrass would be the one to ask,  _ Zelda thought in annoyance. He was the assistant head of houses from before the war and had filled the role when the head had died. As head it was his job to keep the noble houses in line, including the royal family. He dealt with succession to the throne as well as keeping the royal line alive. He couldn’t order her to do anything, but he had possibly the most influential position in her court aside from herself. 

“I will consider it,” she said slowly.

He seemed dissatisfied. “That’s not enough, Highness,” he snapped, shaking his head. “You need to make up your mind. You can’t be princess forever. Hyrule needs a queen. And a king,” he added. 

Some of the ministers were horrified by his bold words. None had spoken so bluntly to her, probably out of fear. But he was right. She absolutely couldn’t stall her decision. 

“Of course, Advisor Ingrass,” Zelda said, admitting defeat. “I will do what is necessary to take the throne. And as for my inevitable marriage, I will put my trust in you to select someone suitable.”

That satisfied him, and he nodded. 

“If that is all,” she said as she stood, “then you are dismissed. I will see you next week.”

They filed out of the meeting hall in a trickle, leaving in twos or threes to discuss plans. Zelda lingered, as did Advisor Ingrass. He approached her, his arms behind his back. 

“I have already given your marriage some thought, Your Highness,” he said.

She sighed inwardly. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

“I believe Hyrule will benefit greatly from having a strong king beside its already great future queen,” he continued. “Someone who is courageous and steadfast, immensely loyal to Hyrule, a protector of the common man...”

She froze, her heart pounding. “You don’t mean…”

“Ultimately it is your choice, Highness.” He turned to leave. “But give it some thought.”

Ingrass left, and she was alone in the room. She had no words, only a feeling of complete and utter shock. 

Had he really suggested that she marry Link?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s short, I will try to have another chapter out soon to make up for it. I’m getting pretty hyped for the release of part 6 of the Twilight Princess manga next week!
> 
> Title is from “Alone” by Alan Walker.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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